The participants in the Corps Commanders’ Conference expressed their support for the Kashmiris against Indian atrocities and termed the international community’s increasing awareness of the Kashmir dispute as positive. Addressing the security conference, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that the return of international cricket in Pakistan and the improvement in the law-and-order situation was the result of sacrifices made by the armed forces in their fight against terrorism. General Bajwa called for stability in Afghanistan, for securing regional peace.
The focus of the conference is usually on issues that affect the security of the country and the region. Undoubtedly, Pakistan’s security issues are linked to the situation in Kashmir and Afghanistan. If these two issues are resolved peacefully, the country can move towards economic and social development. The position of Pakistan’s political and military leadership has been that the Kashmir and Afghanistan disputes should be settled peacefully, rather than through war. The policy of Pakistan on these two disputes is based on the same principle. Pakistan’s efforts regarding Kashmir have been hampered by the Indian attitude.
It was India that first went to the United Nations and promised to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the local population in exchange for a ceasefire. The pledge was made at the UN Security Council. Pakistan stopped the military advance on the guarantee of the international community. As a large and responsible state, India should have kept its promise, but it took the path of confrontation and war. Despite clear Security Council resolutions on Kashmir, the four wars between the two countries prove that peace in South Asia is at stake until the dispute is resolved.
Pakistan has become a security state due to the Kashmir and Afghan conflicts. The situation demands that political and military leaders should fulfil their responsibilities. The unfortunate aspect is that the military while dealing with these conflicts, faces many challenges at the local level. Political parties have failed to show interest in national and international issues and especially in the security of the region. The focus of most of the political parties and their leadership is based on hate-campaigns against opponents. The army and the police alone do not have the means to establish peace. The civil administration and the government should work diligently to turn small opportunities into huge benefits. Political leaders must build a consensus on national and international issues.